THELONIOUS MONK - BRILLIANT CORNERS (HYBRID MONO SACD)

This was pianist Thelonious Monk's breakthrough album after a decade as a recording artist, and it proved as challenging to both listeners and the all-stars who participated as anything in the pianist's discography. The convoluted title track and Monk's angular ballad ''Pannonica'' were particularly difficult to nail down and required multiple takes; yet the ultimate results were spectacular, and produced an immortal album that marked the beginning of Monk's dominance of the jazz scene. The stellar program makes space for the sounds of Monk on celeste and Max Roach on timpani, an astringent Monk solo on a Depression-era ballad, and some of the greatest Sonny Rollins tenor sax on record  Clark Terry, Oscar Pettiford, Paul Chambers and Ernie Henry also shine.

1. Brilliant Corners
2. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are
3. Pannonica
4. I Surrender
5. Dear
6. Bemsha Swing